Nabi and Mngqithi size each other up before Chiefs-Sundowns blockbuster

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi and his Mamelodi Sundowns counterpart Manqoba Mngqithi are looking forward to testing their teams against each other after both started with two wins in their Betway Premiership campaigns.

But with Sundowns having won the past four league games against Chiefs in the past two seasons, it is Amakhosi who will start as underdogs despite hosting this much-anticipated Betway Premiership clash at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

The matchup is expected to be a third successive sold-out affair for Chiefs after their away victories against Marumo Gallants in Bloemfontein and AmaZulu in Durban in midweek.

Bertie Grobbelaar, CEO of Stadium Management of SA, which runs FNB Stadium, said on Thursday 44,000 tickets had already been sold, which is double the total sold the last time the rivals met towards the end of last season. Sundowns confirmed winning the league for the seventh successive season with their 5-1 thumping of Chiefs on their own turf in that clash on May 2.

Both Mngqithi and Nabi agreed on Thursday that past results will, however, count for nothing on Saturday.

Nabi is out to change the situation at grossly underachieving Chiefs, who have gone nine seasons without a trophy. Mngqithi is doing all he can to stamp his authority after taking over the reins at Sundowns at the start of this campaign after Rulani Mokwena’s shock off-season departure.

“We’re trying our level best to play according to the situation and we’re not confined to any style of play,” Mngqithi said of his team’s approach after two league victories against Gallants and SuperSport United.

“We’re trying to build from the back, if needs be, and to go around if we can, go beyond and in-between the lines. So we’re trying everything that can make us a team that is difficult to predict.”

Mngqithi said meeting Chiefs so early in the season is not a problem for Sundowns as they’ve got used to such an occurrence in past seasons where first-round league clashes between these sides took place within their first five games.

“But it’s nice to play games with teams that are motivated, teams that also see an opportunity that they can beat us. It makes the game interesting for spectators and it makes the game probably a little open and interesting for both teams,” he said.

Nabi played his cards close to his chest when he was asked about the kind of game his side will employ after Chiefs showed a willingness to attack against Gallants and AmaZulu.

The coach alluded to his side having a day less to prepare for the big clash. Sundowns beat Gallants 4-1 in Pretoria on Tuesday night, meaning no intercity travel and a day’s recovery plus two of field training. “The only problem I have [with facing Sundowns] is that I didn't have enough time to prepare for them,” Nabi said. 

“It was not possible to talk [to the players] about the Sundowns game before we played against AmaZulu. This would not be professional. Now we’ve just come from the airport directly to here [the press conference in Midrand]. We have one day to prepare for Sundowns, which is not enough for me. But don’t worry, we’ll go 100%. We'll give it our maximum.

“I have my idea for the tactical approach for the game. But if we win, we win and if we lose, we lose, no problem. This is life and the season is very long. But I’m not negative. I have confidence in my players. I have seen enough of my players, now I know them. But if we don“t win it“s not a problem. The players love the coach and it“s football. But we want to win.”